The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-12-08
BIRDS THAT KNOW SOMETHING.
Some Wonderful Educated Parrots
In Paris,


In Paris.
An exhibition of educated parrots re.
Gently held in Paris showed very clearly
to what high state of perfcc ton these
birds are capable of being trained. Their
stage was a long table, at one end OF
VIII oh were pcrches, on which were
grouped half dozen parrots. -Four OF
these were cockatoos-w hite, with yell
low crests; tn G other two were gray par.
rots. with the neck and under parts rose
color.
Among the tricks which they perform
at the bidding of their OWNER, M. Abby,
are the following: Two fixed bars on up.
right supports are placed on the table; a
parrot climbs upon one OF them, turns a
somersault, keeps his head downward.
and, passing on to the second bar, goes
through the same exercise. Their owner
then calls Tom, IA small white parrot
who comes toward him rs if about to
climb on one OF the bars but runs back
again holding down his head and shak-
ing his wings in q grotesque way. Tom
is evidently the bufl'oon Of the troupe.
bell is then brought, with handle
which forms lever; a parrot advances,
and putting one foot on the lever, rings
the bell. The trainer asks the audience
what number of rings they wish for;
some one exclaims, "seven! and the
parrot rings the bell seven times.
The bird Is then asked how much does
three times three make, aud it replies by
ringing tho bell nine times. A perch is
then placed on the table in the form of a
see saw, at each end of which a gray
parrot perches. and in the center, just
above the pivot jumps magnificent
white parrot named Charley, the princi-
pal one in the troupe. This parrot
throwing the weight of his body success
siyely to the right and left of the pivot.
rocks the see-saw rapidly. 10 see the
animation OF this bird during the per-
Torrance one would suppose that he
took real pleasure in rocking his COM
panions
The same bird then goes through an
other exercise. Four flagstafis are set
up on the table, aud at the foot OF each
is flag attached to cord. which
passes over a pully at the top. The flags
are English, French. Belgian and Amer
lean. One OF. the audience asks for the
French flag. Charley advances, draws
himself up erecting his bright yellow
crest, and, spreading his wings, sudden
" seizes the line with his beak, and,
then alternately with beak and foot,
hauls up a flag as a sailor would,
hand over hand, until it is fast at the top.
He then goes through the same per-
Torrance with the other flags in sue
cession.
Several letters of the alphabet are
placed upright on the table, and Char
ley is again brought forward, pluming
himself as before. A spectator calls for
letter. Charley hesilates, inclines
head to one side, appears 10 reflect then
suddenly advances and pickles up the
letter named, and repeating the perform
ance with other letters called for. Sud
denly little Tom jumps off his perch,
runs up, seizes the remaining letters
one after another, and pitches them
away on the floor. Another parrot then
appears, and at the word of command
throws several somersaults on the table.
Two others follow, and waltz slowly
round while the music plays.
OF all parrots nj. Abby considers the
white cockatoos the most gifted in re-
gard to agility and capability for learn
ing tricks-being, in fact acrobats by
nature. They are very slow in learn.
ing to talk. but they are easily tanned.
and understand and do what they are
told. La Nature.